Brown-bag-it insulation cup sleeve

ABSTRACT

An insulating cup sleeve comprised of an arcuate strip with a top convex edge longer than a bottom concave edge, flaps on both edges, and two distal ends. The insulating cup sleeve contains a plurality of flaps on both the convex edge and concave edge that are to be folded over one another to create a multi-layered arcuate strip roughly one third its total original arcuate width. The insulating cup sleeve is assembled by interlocking the distal ends by engaging cuts made near each distal end originating from opposite edges of the arcuate strip

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to a provisional application entitled “Brown-bag-it insulating cup sleeve,” No. 61/199,443, filed on Nov. 17, 2008 which is incorporated in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND

The advent of the cup holder has been around with many variations available. Cup holders are utilized in many restaurants, coffee shops, or other establishments where beverages are served in disposable cups. The cup holder allows people to hold cups or containers that are filled with extreme temperature liquids while not causing discomfort. Furthermore, the cup holder is usually made of paperboard, paper, plastic or other material easily formed that allow for slow transfer of heat. These cup holders are usually formed from arcuate shaped pieces of texturized paperboard, plastic or other material with two distal ends that are affixed together. Many sleeves are glued or stapled together while others are affixed by simpler means such as slits or tabs that interlock to form a sleeve. The majority of the sleeves available to the market need improvements to accommodate an increasing demand for green products. To sustain the increased demand for green goods within this industry the sleeves need to be produced in a fashion that minimizes energy requirements and employs easily available materials. Currently, many sleeves are already utilizing recyclable materials; however their production can be even more environmentally friendly by reducing shipping weight, and by utilizing materials with improved decomposition times relative to the conventionally used materials for this type of product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The novel design of the brown-bag-it insulating cup sleeve is environmentally friendly by utilizing recycle, although not necessary, material and no glue or staples to maintain its shape. The brown-bag-it insulating cup sleeve is made from a single layer of material, preferably recycled paper, cut into an arcuate shape with two distal ends determining the length. The general shape of the brown-bag-it insulating sleeve is such that the top portion is convex and the bottom portion is concave. The width (w) of the main strip of the brown-bag-it insulating cup sleeve is the distance between the convex and concave edges at its distal ends, the total arcuate width (w²) can be anything greater than the main strip width (w) so that additional width can be folded over, however, preferably the arcuate width (w²) is no more than three times w. The arcuate length (l) is the distance between the two distal ends. There is one slit made near each distal end of the arcuate shape, the first slit originates near one distal end of the convex edge and transects halfway to the concave edge, the second slit near the opposite distal end originates from the concave edge and slices halfway to the convex edge. The arcuate shape contains a plurality of flaps spaced apart from one another on both the convex and concave edge. These flaps have a length slightly less than the width (w) of the distal end of the arcuate shape. The flaps of the convex edge are staggered, though not necessary, to the flaps of the concave edge and all flaps are designed to fold over 180 degrees with the concave flaps being folded first followed by the flaps of the convex edge, though this could be done in opposite order. The folding of the flaps produce a multi-layered arcuate strip with sections of various layers interspaced. The folded arcuate strip can be stored flat or rolled into a section of a cone shape and fixed into position by sliding the slits near each distal end into one another. One advantage of utilizing locking slits, due to the flexible joint formed, is that it will allow the sleeve to fit on cups of slightly varying dimensions. The formed sleeve can then be slid onto a cup for use or stored. The brown-bag-it insulating cup sleeve design allows multi-layer insulation to be accomplished while being made from a single layer of suitable material and fixed into its final configuration without glue or other mechanical means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1—is a top plan view of an unassembled insulating cup sleeve of the present invention.

FIG. 2—is a plan top view of the present invention partially assembled with the flaps of the concave side folded over the main arcuate strip.

FIG. 3—is a view similar to FIG. 2 but shows the flaps along the convex side folded over the main arcuate strip and on top of the folded flaps of the concave side as illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4—is a perspective view of the assembled invention in one embodiment.

FIG. 5—is a perspective view of the insulating cup sleeve of this invention surrounding a conical container.

FIG. 6—is a plain top view of another embodiment of this invention where as the integral flaps are shifted slightly and the slits near the distal ends are incorporated into the distal flaps and the main arcuate strip.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a single piece of elongated material 20 with an arcuate shape is illustrated, having both a concave 14 bottom and convex top 13. The total width of the invention unassembled is is roughly three times the arcuate width 10 of main strip. The concave 14 and convex 13 edges contain a plurality of flaps 15(a,b,c, . . . ) & 16(a,b,c, . . . ) that extend perpendicular to arcuate shape. This drawing shows one embodiment of the invention with four flaps on the convex side and three on the concave side however, there may be more or less. Near the distal ends of the arcuate strip 20 there are two cuts 11, 12 that transect half way through the strip 20. These cuts 11,12 form a tab on each distal end which are interlocked for final sleeve assembly as shown in FIG. 4. The flaps 15(a,b,c,. . . ) & 16(a,b,c, . . .) of the invention are designed to to fold over 180 degrees to form a multi-layered insulating barrier. Another embodiment of this invention may include perforations or cut lines along the convex and concave edges of the arcuate width 10 where the integral flaps 15(a,b,c . . . ) & 16 (a,b,c . . . ) project to help facilitate the folding over of the flaps 15(a,b,c . . . ) & 16 (a,b,c . . . ).

Referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawings, the integral flaps of the concave side 16 (a,b,c . . . ) are shown in a position whereas they have been folded over 180 degrees so they lie on the main portion of the arcuate strip 20.

Referring to FIG. 3 now, the current embodiment of this invention is shown with the flaps of the convex side 15(a,b,c . . . ) folded over 180 degrees so they lie on top the flaps of the concave side 16(a,b,c . . . ) which have been folded as in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates how the sleeve is formed into a conical shape and held into position with the tabs, formed by cuts 11, 12, at each distal end interlocking.

FIG. 5 is perspective view of the current embodiment of this invention encircling a conical container such as a cup.

FIG. 6 is an alternative embodiment of the brown bag it sleeve, with the integral tabs shifted when compared to the tabs in FIG. 1.

REFERENCES

-   I. U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,497 7/1995 Sorensen -   II. U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,583 8/1987 Noon -   III. U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,754 9/2001 Stier -   IV. U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,363 11/2000 Rule 

1. A multi-layered insulating cup sleeve comprising: an arcuate strip having a top edge that is convex with a length and a plurality of integral flaps, a bottom edge that is concave with a length and a plurality of flaps, a distal end with a cut near that distal end that originates from the convex edge and transects ½ through the arcuate strip towards the concave edge, a second distal end with a cut near that distal end that originates from the concave edge and transects ½ through the arcuate strip towards the convex edge. a plurality of flaps on both the convex and concave edges of the arcuate strip, wherein they are folded over 180 degrees to form a multi-layered insulating barrier.
 2. The sleeve of claim 1 wherein the convex edge of the arcuate strip is longer than the concave edge.
 3. The sleeve of claim 1 comprising a plurality of integral flaps, wherein the flaps of the concave and convex edges are to be folded over one another to create a multi layered arcuate strip that is assembled and used in conjunction with a conical container.
 4. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the cuts near the distal ends can be interlocked to secure the sleeve so it can be placed around a conical container such as a paper coffee cup. 